You always wonder how a band that has been phenomenally successful with their debut album is going to be able to follow it up when it comes time to release that second album. It is therefore interesting that my first impressions of this album was from the first time I saw/heard the opening riff to the first single from it, “Freak”. Believe me, it caught my attention immediately!
Freak Show has it’s extremes, probably highlighted by the ferocity of “Freak” and the gentle swooning of “Cemetary”. Both were singles, and both are probably the best two songs on the album.
Apart from these two, I find it difficult to really get into the album. The variation between styles is a little disconcerting for me. It’s almost like a compilation of different genres of music. In particular, "Abuse Me", "Lie To Me" and "No Association" take this to another level. Trying to get into an album with so many technical changes isn't so easy. I’m sure that works for some people, but my opinion is that Daniel Johns just isn’t sure at this stage of the band’s career as to which direction they really wanted to head in – punk, hard rock, grunge or metal. While I think most of the songs are on the good side, none apart from those mentioned really grab you the way you want a good album to do.
Rating: Perhaps too much is sometimes not enough. 2.5/5
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